TOP Scottish actor Brian Cox has teamed up with a young filmmaker to create a series of films to raise awareness of the plight of homeless people around the world.

TOP Scottish actor Brian Cox has teamed up with a young filmmaker to create a series of films to raise awareness of the plight of homeless people around the world.

Scott Davidson, 28, a graduate of Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design at the University of Dundee, made a short film about the city's homeless people during his studies last year.

The film, Pressure, showed 16 homeless people in Dundee reciting the lyrics to the Queen and David Bowie hit song Under Pressure.

Dundee-born Cox, rector of the university, was so impressed by the film that he offered his support to the project.

The X-Men and Bourne Identity star has since been in regular contact with Mr Davidson, having had several meetings to discuss how to make the project global and produce similar films in cities around the world.

London is the location for the next film, Think, and features the Phil Collins song Another Day In Paradise. Eleven women will recite the song lyrics as spoken word.

Mr Davidson, also from Dundee, said the films are intended to help others understand the situations in which the cast members find themselves.

He works with the charity Open Cinema, a national network of film clubs programmed by and for homeless and socially excluded people.

Mr Davidson said: "I work with charities and support groups to produce films that are strictly not for profit to be used in their campaigns. The aim is to create films that can help the charity by inspiring people to donate money or give their time. At the very least it will hopefully help people understand more.

"I hope to give insight into understanding a social issue. I have gained so much in the way of opportunity in my life and career, so I try to give back where I can as much as possible. It's fantastic and slightly surreal that Brian has become involved, as he is a Hollywood legend."

Mr Davidson added: "Brian's involvement is to oversee the progress of the project. I come up with the concept and send it to him and we work from there, based on his feedback. Once every few months, when Brian finds himself in Dundee, we meet up and discuss possible strategies.

"The message of Pressure was that this is why people may end up living on the streets: the pressure of work, family or life in general.

"The lyrics of Another Day In Paradise are very relevant to the struggles that homeless people face, and there is the line that says think twice, which is what we'll be encouraging people to do with this film."

Filming starts in London later this year and Mr Davidson said he hopes to also take the project to Amsterdam.